Roofing in Dickinson Township, Pennsylvania

Required

The 2021 International Residential Code, as adopted by the State in the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC). 34 Pa. Code 403.21(a)(7) adopts "The 'International Residential Code of 2021,' except that:" followed by the State's list of exclusions and modifications, effective January 1, 2026 (55 Pa.B. 7701). None of the State's changes touches Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies, or Section R803, Roof Sheathing, so those apply as the International Code Council publishes them. Work on existing buildings is also pointed to the State's existing-building code: "The repair, alteration, change of occupancy, addition and relocation of existing buildings must comply with Chapter 34 of the 'International Building Code of 2021' or with the 'International Existing Building Code of 2021'" (34 Pa. Code 403.21(f)). The UCC is the minimum everywhere in the state: "no municipality may propose or enact any ordinance which is less than the minimum requirement of the Uniform Construction Code" (Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, section 503(b)). The Act also lists work it "shall not apply to", including "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress" or to "Repairs to residential buildings," in each case "except as might be required by ordinances" kept in force under section 303(b)(1) or adopted under section 503 (Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6); 34 Pa. Code 403.1(b)(8) and (9)). The Act defines a repair as "The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing building for the purpose of its maintenance." So whether the code's roofing rules reach a given house reroof depends on the municipality's own ordinances. Everything above is Pennsylvania state law, the same in every municipality. Locally, Dickinson Township takes building permit applications at its municipal building, 219 Mountain View Road, Mount Holly Springs. Section 86-1 of the Township Code says "The Township hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act," Section 86-6A says "Application for such permits shall be made to the Township," and the Township's Application for Zoning/Building Permits says "MDIA will review plans submitted to determine Code compliance" and names "UCC Building Code Official: MDIA" for the final inspection. Chapter 86 elects to administer and enforce the Act "as amended from time to time," names no code edition and changes nothing in the code's roofing provisions; the Township's pages name no code edition.

No Dickinson Township text read for this record names roof covering work as permit work or as exempt. Section 86-6 of the Township Code (Ord. No. 2004-1) says "A building permit shall be required for all construction work done within the Township or as otherwise required under the code"; Chapter 86 names no roof work and does not define "construction work." Section 86-4 keeps in force "All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances previously adopted by the Township which exceed the requirements of the code" and names none. The Township's application lists "Repair" and "Alteration" among its types of work with no roofing line, and its 2026 fee schedule and the posted Western Cumberland Council of Governments building inspection fee schedule have no roofing line. No Township page says whether a reroof needs a permit, and this record does not decide whether a reroof is "construction work" under Section 86-6. Under state law, Act 45 section 104(b)(5) and (6) list "Alterations to residential buildings which do not make structural changes or changes to means of egress" and "Repairs to residential buildings" among work the Act does not apply to, "except as might be required by ordinances in effect pursuant to section 303(b)(1) or adopted pursuant to section 503," and 34 Pa. Code 403.62(c) says "A permit is not required for the exceptions listed in § 403.1(b) (relating to scope) and the following, if the work does not violate a law or ordinance." Read for this record: Chapter 86 of the Township Code, Construction Code, Uniform, in full; every page of a search of the whole Township Code for "roof" and for "reroofing," which found no permit provision naming roof work; and the Township's Code and Ordinances, Forms, Fee Schedule and Contact pages, its Application for Zoning/Building Permits, its zoning permit application, its 2026 fee schedule and the posted building inspection fee schedule. Section 86-10A says that where an owner "commences construction without first having obtained a permit as required hereunder, a penalty of 25% of the established fee for said permit shall be added thereto." The Township office, 219 Mountain View Road, Mount Holly Springs, is at (717) 486-7424, open Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.